3 Lessons on Failure from Oscar Winning Actor Denzel Washington #motivation #king #life #lessons

Actor Denzel Washington says nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks.

In May 2011, he shared this message with the graduates of The University of Pennsylvania during a commencement speech. Washington also stresses risk-taking because “every failed experiment is one step closer to success,” as illustrated by this fine actor.

“If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything, except my faith. I want to fall… forward -- At least I figure that way I’ll see what I’m about to hit.”

Thanks to The University of Pennsylvania, a replay of Denzel Washington’s address to the Class of 2011 is viewable in video and text. After reading his speech a few times over and watching it online, I believe that the Penn graduates were very lucky to receive some wisdom from a man whose high-caliber offerings to the masses stretch far beyond his good looks. Here is my little cliff notes version of life lessons from Denzel Washington that can be put to good use, regardless of whether you hold a degree in any field or not.

Denzel Washington says that there are three reasons why it is important for you to take risks:

#1 “You will fail at some point in your life. Accept it. You will lose. You will embarrass yourself. You will suck at something. There is no doubt about it.”

Washington recalls auditioning for a Broadway musical despite the fact that he cannot sing and faced stiff competition among actors who had the vocal chops. He did the best he could with his rendition of “Just My Imagination” by The Temptations but did not land the role.

Rather than quit and fall backward, Washington continued to audition for parts and finally caught a break after failing again and again. In 2010, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in Play, honoring his performance in the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s “Fences.” Interesting enough, “Fences” was showcased in the same theater where his first audition was a bust.

Denzel Washington’s takeaway: You may have the training and talent to succeed, but do you have the guts to fail?

#2 “If you don’t fail… you’re not even trying.”

Denzel Washington credits his wife for telling him “To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did” and references motivational speaker Les Brown’s analogy about ghosts around your deathbed, representing unfulfilled potential -- in an effort to remind you that the world needs your talents.

The Oscar winning actor wants you to give the world everything you’ve got -- time, talent, prayers, kindness, love, patience, etc. because you can’t take it with you - or- as Washington so cleverly put it: “You will never see a U-haul behind a hearse.”

Denzel Washington’s takeaway: What are you going to do with the gifts that you have?

#3 “Sometimes it’s the best way to figure out where you’re going.”

The “Safe House” star reminds us that life will never be a straight path, by explaining how he went from a pre-med student who could not pronounce one of his courses to a journalism major with failing grades in college before pursuing an acting career.

It is this change in direction that put Denzel Washington in a position to speak to millions of people through his films including “Philadelphia,” one of which he says illustrates exactly what he wants you all to understand. In the film, Washington plays a homophobic personal injury lawyer who takes on a wrongful termination case to defend an corporate attorney living with AIDS.

Watching “Philadelphia” will show you just how taking risks and being willing to fail is about more than getting a job, according to Washington. It’s about knowing what you know and what you don’t know, being open to people, ideas and new opinions; accepting new views -- being open to life.

Denzel Washington's Takeaway: While being willing to fail may be frightening, it is also rewarding because your life will be defined by the chances you take, people you meet, people you love and the faith that you have.

The Mission from Denzel Washington:
“Never be discouraged. Never hold back. Give everything you’ve got.”

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Denzel Washington on Making Movies, Being Black and Simplifying Life #acting #quotes

Have you ever noticed the peculiar tendency of so many talented people working in the film industry, or entertainment business in general for that matter, who did not have any initial interest in being in this field? If they never changed the direction of their life or career plans, the world would be missing out on a lot of great performances and maybe even greater insights on one’s human existence.

Actor Denzel Washington, who went from being a pre-med student to a pre-law student and later graduating from Fordham University with a degree in journalism, is clearly one of these people. As the son of a Pentecostal minister, Denzel Washington was not allowed to go to the movies during his childhood but caught the acting bug after receiving encouragement from a fellow camp counselor, following his performance in their YMCA talent show.

After winning two Oscars and starring in over 50 movies and TV shows combined, Washington is often referenced under many different titles including “movie star” in lieu of “man” or “black actor” rather than “actor.” Just glance at some of Denzel Washington’s most notable quotes, however, and you may find that he has less interest in being famous, more concern about preserving the feeling of surprise and adventure that audiences should experience when watching films and having brown skin does not solely define him or what he is about.

On Making Movies...
“There's fun creating that magic. Bringing something to life, whatever. Putting together a character. The twists and the turns that people don't expect. So to sit around and talk about it before someone sees it is boring. I think there should be some mystery in it. Who wants to know everything about it? I think it ruins movies when you know everything about how the movie was made and put together. If you explain, it's like showing you the trick before I show you the magic. Let me explain to you how it works. All right, now come see the show. It's supposed to be magic. And being an actor is about creating that magic.”

On Being Black...
In the 90s, theater and film critics praised Denzel Washington as some sort of great black villain for his performances in the play “Richard III” and the movie “A Soldier’s Story.” Washington was less than thrilled for any label that isolates him from the work as a whole, in this manner.

"What does that mean, a black villain?" -- "How do you think I feel sitting here having people say, black this and black that, as if that's all I am? First of all, I'm a man. Let's talk about about that. Or as an actor, ask me how I feel about things. But the questions are always 'as a black . . .,' 'as a black . . .,' 'as a black. . . .'

I'm very proud to be black but black is not all I am. That's my cultural historical background, my genetic makeup, but it's not all of who I am nor is the basis from which I answer every question. I get very upset when I hear 'black villain,' as opposed to a 'white villain' or an 'Italian villain.' I don't think I should be talked to only as a black actor . . . I think its very racist."

Working on “Mo Better Blues” directed by Spike Lee was a new experience for Denzel Washington, who was used to being isolated on set and struggled to get accustomed to the atmosphere of a movie where Lee wanted to exploit Denzel’s popularity among wide female audiences and encourage white audiences to be comfortable with black sexuality.

"I don't have as much of an agenda as Spike does. I'm not trying to move people in any area, it's just the movie business, you know. -- I am attracted to certain parts and I've learned a lot from them, about history, culture, myself, how the world views black people and how black people view the world."

Denzel Washington is just as quick to refrain from labeling films as he his from categorizing himself as an actor, and this goes for everyone including film critics, audiences and colleagues.

"I think all films can speak to people across color lines. I don't think that's a new concept. Do you think that only Italians go see (Martin) Scorsese's films, that only Britons go see (Richard) Attenborough's films, that only Canadians go see Norman Jewison's films? You have to question that. I think people go to good movies."

"The only way to look at this is continuing the variety I've tried for, the new and different challenges. People say, 'You're the guy that's gonna' carry the torch for history,' -- But I'm not that guy. I just want to do the things I want to do -- I'm not anti-black or shunning my own blackness. But if we are making any progress, if Hollywood is getting any better, it has to start with each one of us."

On Simplifying Life...
Denzel Washington spent his 40th birthday reflecting on what he did with the first 40 years of his life and also how he plans to spend the next 40 years of his life. During this time, Washington also took the analogy that a motivational speaker named Les Brown made, to heart, when trying to figure out ways to simplify life.

“He was saying when you die, imagine you had these ghosts around your bed that represent your unfulfilled potential. Things that should have been done, should have been experienced. How many ghosts are going to be around your bed when your time comes? People can say about me or anyone, 'Oh, you're great at this,' but you have to look at yourself and say, 'How do I feel about what I've done?' That's all that matters.”

So, Denzel Washington did not become a doctor, lawyer or journalist -- he did, however, end up playing them on screen (as Tom Hank’s lawyer in “Philadelphia,” as Dr. Philip Chandler on the NBC show “St. Elsewhere and as an investigative reporter ducking bullets alongside Julia Roberts in “The Pelican Brief”), instead.

Looking at a man who gave us films such as “Glory,” “Crimson Tide,” “Malcolm X” and “Remember the Titans,” I’d say the world is lucky that he went in a different direction after college. Do YOU agree or disagree?

Denzel Washington Wins Golden Camera Award in Germany #movies #Europe #safehouse

Congratulations to actor Denzel Washington, who just won the Golden Camera Award for “Best International Actor.” The award ceremony was held in Berlin, yesterday, and gives us another reminder of how Washington’s body of work is as much, if not more valued overseas as it is here in the United States.

The Golden Camera is the most prestigious film award in Germany, according to The Washington Post. Denzel Washington’s honor as the Best International Actor also comes at a fitting time since he is now the successor to Ron Weasley on the King Dong throne for the month of February.

Here is what the Golden Camera Award’s panel of judges had to say about the fine actor:

“Denzel Washington is an exceptionally expressive actor. He exudes natural authority and is therefore so credible in his roles as a leader. He often presents an intact system of values to the audience, and in doing so, becomes a model and archetype of ethical principles. At the same time, his extraordinary versatility enables him to master a wide range of roles. This versatility can be admired in his current production "Safe House", where he plays a fugitive criminal.”

What a way for Washington to start off his 2012 February King Dong month with a bang!

Denzel Washington also stars in the upcoming movie “Safe House,” opposite Ryan Reynolds, which is due to hit theaters on February 10th.

Do YOU agree that Denzel Washington has international appeal?

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